


Something Blessed This Way Comes

by billyspilgrimage



Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byleth comes home, Canon Divergence to Avoid Major Character Death, Edelgard centric, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Female My Unit | Byleth, F/F, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Friends to Lovers, Gay Edelgard von Hresvelg, Happy Ending, Millennium Day, Missing Scene, Mostly Canon Compliant, Pining, Post-Time Skip, Yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billyspilgrimage/pseuds/billyspilgrimage
Summary: Five years into the war, Edelgard von Hresvelg is haunted by Byleth's disappearance and apparent death. Her pain culminates on Millennium Day, when she and her classmates promised to meet at Garreg Mach for a reunion. As she looks upon the past and grieves, an old friend shows up at her door.Missing scenes of Edelgard and Byleth growing closer during the war, and realizing that what they really want is love, and that they can find it in each other.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 15
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

I am drowning in a sea of my own design. Currents whip around my body and force me in every direction except the surface, pulling me down into the depths of inky blackness, where only the wretched are doomed to reside. For a moment, there’s a glimmer of hope, a flash of muted green hair and emerald eyes reaching a hand into the water from above. With all the strength left in my body, I raise an arm to greet her, pushing past the gravity that threatens to take me to the bottom of the ocean.

Yet this time, like every time that’s come before it, the touch of my hands spreads a curse through Byleth’s body, racing through her outstretched fingertips and into her heart, making her grow weaker and weaker, until the hand begins to grow limp, and I’m holding a cold ghost that I wasn’t sure was even real in the first place.

* * *

Edelgard von Hresvelg woke with a start in her bed, sweat ice cold against her skin as the inky blackness swallowed her up and disappeared from the forefront of her consciousness and back into the nagging itch just below the surface.

Before she could adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings, the four-poster bed, the sound of crows cawing at the balcony, the cobblestone floors of Garreg Mach, a knock at her door spurred Edelgard to bright awareness.

“Is everything alright Your Majesty?”

Hubert’s tone brought some sense of normalcy to this environment, but even so, Edelgard found no comfort in his cold and calculating eyes that seemed to read her every movement around the monastery. She struggled up and out of bed as the Emperor of the Adrestia croaked out an official reply through rusty vocal chords, “Yes, of course Hubert.” Edelgard silently struggled to get into her royal dressings before catching a glimpse of the sunrise beginning to crest over the monastery walls and light the unfinished portrait in the corner of the room. Pausing as she slipped on the dress that she’d grown so accustomed to in the last five years, Edelgard couldn’t tear her eyes away from the wide sweeps of oil to the intricate flares of gouache that seemed to sweep around the frame.

That was just the problem though. The patterns of the background and the stitching of the Professor’s robes was easy to create, a sole source of comfort even after a day of battle and sleepless nights of planning. Even the delicate patterns of Byleth’s tights were easy to recall and replicate. And as fate were to have it, the light of the early winter’s sun fell upon the face. 

Unfinished. Blank.

Edelgard could not even bring herself to dot the canvas in an attempt to create the soft curve of the Professor’s nose, the flawless face devoid of any wrinkles that indicated a history of pain, or the eyes that could never seem to stay the same color. And although she could remember her features more and more as the war drags on, Edelgard’s hand seemed repelled from the piece.

The Emperor emerged from her chambers to find Hubert, Minister of the Imperial Household, standing guard directly outside the bedroom.

He bowed deeply as he greeted Edelgard, “Your Majesty. Is all well?”

Walking past the tall, dark haired man, Edelgard straightened her collar and strode towards the staircase to begin her morning affairs. “Of course Hubert. Although, I thought I told you that you didn’t need to replace the guard outside my bedroom.”

“Yes, of course.” He caught up to the Emperor, following in her footsteps as he spoke cordially, “With all due respect Your Majesty, I do not trust these common soldiers to protect you as well as I trust myself, should the situation arise.”

Edelgard shot a glance back at him as they descended from the upper floors of the monastery and into the courtyard. “They are the Imperial Guard, Hubert. You would do well to understand that I trust them with my life, and even if they did fail to protect me, I can handle myself perfectly fine.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

As had become tradition since taking position at Garreg Mach, Edelgard took her meals in the Cardinals’ Room, a chamber with a long, mahogany table that could seat at least 20 comfortably, and much more uncomfortably. Almost all of the Adrestian Empire’s decisions were first discussed here, among the company of the highest-ranking generals of the Imperial Army and the Black Eagle Strike Force. Edelgard had ended meetings early today, as many of the officers and soldiers wished to celebrate Millenium Day in some shape or form, even if the monastery had seen better days. And Edelgard kept it to herself that she wished to think of happier days too, if only she could allow herself to do so.

As the officials exited the Cardinals’ Room, Edelgard noticed that Dorothea seemed to be lagging behind, making a show out of struggling to gather some paperwork together before she left. Taking this cue, and leaping at the chance to escape from Hubert’s gaze for at least a moment, the Emperor turned and asked him to step outside for a moment.

He paused, seemingly taken aback as he too saw Dorothea, then bowed before exiting the war room. With him outside, Edelgard felt a tremendous weight lift off of her as she unconsciously took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders.

Dorothea stepped around the long table to get in a comfortable distance with Edelgard, taking note of the stress taking its toll on Her Majesty. “You alright Edie?”

Taking the chance to lean back, Edelgard rested on the edge of the table as she crossed her arms and traced the cobblestone with her eyes.

Edelgard forced a laugh. “I’m that easy to read, huh?” she said half heartedly.

Dorothea laughed too, encouraged by the sudden relaxation of the mood in the room. “We’ve known each other for more than five years. I think I can tell when you’re losing sleep over something.”

And it was true. If anything, the only reason Edelgard hadn’t been asked the same question by every passing guard or officer was probably a combination of their reverence for her, their assumption that any and all stress was from the war, and that she’d had a couple decades of practice pretending to be fine. That was one of the best things about Dorothea, and why Edelgard had taken to value her input more and more over the years: she never hid what she was thinking.

Edelgard sighed deeply.

“This war has gone for far too long.” Edelgard’s voice was suddenly exhausted, struggling to bear the weight of an entire nation on her own. “I never expected it to last one year, let alone five. And every sign points to there being years to come until we see the end of this bloody conflict.”

Edelgard turned to face Dorothea, expecting to see encouragement or conciliation, only to find watery eyes on the normally joyous songstress’ face. Dorothea wiped them away, keeping her makeup clean and neat as her voice cracked. “Sorry. I just...I know I should be happy like the others, but I can’t stop thinking about the way things used to be back at the Academy.”

Edelgard nodded, careful not to let her own mirrored emotions show.

Dorothea continued speaking into the musty air, words spilling out without a second’s hesitation, “And I believe in what we’re doing, I wouldn’t do things any other way, but I miss the simplicity of it all back then. Y’know? I miss going to class, I miss the gossip, I miss the other students there, and I miss the Prof-”

Edelgard winced as the woman across from her caught herself, skidding to a stop as the pregnant words came to a halt. The Emperor took the chance to speak her own mind, for once. It was Millennium Day after all.

“I miss her too.”

Silence.

Edelgard hardened her exterior as she forced herself to press on. “I’ve dreaded this day for so long, the day where we all promised to come back. I’m grateful that our losses have been so small, only losing one of us in a war this long, but the toll is still incalculable.”

A silent conversation seemed to happen between the two women, alone in the Cardinals’ Room, where without confession, both of them were able to admit to each other the pain that had overtaken them in the years since Byleth’s disappearance. The rest of the day dragged on with Hubert in tow as Edelgard attempted to strategize her way around the war’s deadlock. However, every mention of Millennium Day brought with it an arrow to Edelgard’s heart for reasons she had trouble explaining. Pain and suffering had begun to define the day for Edelgard, as the thought of returning back to her quarters only to face the stagnant portrait again made the bile rise up in her stomach. 

When sunset arrived, it brought relief with it, even though Edelgard couldn’t bring herself to climb the stairs to her quarters. After the final meeting of the day was dismissed, a feast began in the Dining Hall to celebrate the successes in the war thus far, instead of the day’s original cause for celebration that stood opposed to the Empire’s goals.

Edelgard never was one for parties. In all the chaos, Edelgard managed to slip away from Hubert as well as her other allies. In a way, the night reminded her of the Ball so long ago, when she was still a student of the Officers’ Academy and the continent was still at peace. Striding in the cold moonlight of the monastery grounds, the memory brought an odd comfort. Back then, the Professor had slipped out of the party unannounced just as she had just done.

The sound of the classical accompaniment was easy to recall, as well as the warmth coming from the abundant candlelight and the chandelier hung from the rafters. She’d been asked to dance by some brave boy who she had never spoken to before that night. After an awkward twirl around the dancefloor, he returned to another group of boys that all slapped him on the back and laughed. It was humiliating at the time, to be seen as a trophy to be won. The nature of being the Adrestian Princess, she silently accepted at the time.

The Professor was the life of the party that night. As Edelgard watched from the sidelines, student after student insisted that the Professor spin around the dancefloor with them, boy and girl. Edelgard would be lying if she said that the thought hadn’t occurred to her, but the idea of shoving into line to get a moment with the mysterious Professor seemed...impossible. Although, now that she thought of it, Claude certainly didn’t have any trouble asking for a dance. At the time, the sight of it made Edelgard fume. She couldn’t quite put a finger on why. She never put much thought into it until that Millennium Day five years later. 

Through her aimless wandering around the grounds, desperate to avoid the other officers as well as that accursed portrait, Edelgard stumbled upon the students’ dormitory. Although still in use by the few Black Eagle Strike Force members, it was practically deserted. Creaking open the door, the hardwood hallway extended out in front of her like a divine pathway as she felt pulled to a certain door on her right. Beside it, on a small brass plaque, read “Edelgard’s Room.” Creaking open the door let out the smell of dust as cobwebs began to loosen around the doorframe as it gave way.

Inside, things were the same as they’d always been. Despite the battle, despite the five years since, the books on the shelf were the same, the bedding was the same, even the small vase on her desk was the same, even though the flowers that Byleth had given her had long since dried up inside. 

The bed creaked under Edelgard’s weight and sent dust flying into the space as she sat on it, feeling the expensive linen between her fingers. To say that her feelings about Garreg Mach and the Officers’ Academy were complicated was an understatement in the same way that saying this war had a long stretch ahead of it was an understatement. And yet, being here, sitting in one of the few pieces of her past that was joyful, it made tears come to her eyes. And for once, she let them flow without fear of anyone seeing.

Between quiet sobs, Edelgard heard the creak of floorboards at the end of the hall, the sound of someone else entering the dormitory. Adrenaline dried her eyes immediately, and for safety’s sake, Edelgard placed her hand on the dagger strapped to her belt. The door to the bedroom was entirely shut, so she silently glided to the wall beside it. Should anyone try to enter, she’d have a knife at their throat before they could say a word.

The footsteps came closer and closer, and the carelessness with which this would-be assassin walked surprised Edelgard. They didn’t care if they made any noise, which tightened her grip on the dagger.

Closer.

Closer.

Stop.

Right outside Edelgard’s student bedroom, the footsteps halted, and then nothing. For a moment, she thought it must be a ghost.

Then, the door began to be pushed open. 

In a flash, Edelgard slammed her body against the intruder’s, shoving them against the wall as the edge of her knife found a neck to press against.

“Who are you!?” Edelgard said the words before she even looked, and she immediately regretted them.

After five years that felt like an eternal winter, pressed against her bedroom wall was her old Professor. In a split second, Edelgard processed every line, speck, and flash of color on the face in front of her and knew she’d never forget it. While Edelgard’s face softened and her dagger clattered to the ground, she could’ve sworn she saw the hint of a smile in Byleth’s eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for those who liked the first chapter!! I wasn't planning on doing more than a one-shot on this, but I wanted to keep writing so here I am! This is basically going to be a series of "missing scenes" focused on Edelgard and how her and Byleth's relationship develops in the Crimson Flower route, because they deserve more! It's going to be a slow burn with a happy ending and some angst and hurt/comfort thrown in there, so hang in there y'all

It’s strange really, sitting mere feet away from someone who you’d thought was a cold corpse in the ground for five years counting. The change felt like a fire had been lit inside of Edelgard’s head, rousing her from a frozen slumber that she thought only the end of this war could bring.

The night the Professor returned, there was real cause for celebration for the first time in a long time. The heart of the Black Eagles, the beloved Professor of the Officers’ Academy had come back from the dead to lead the Empire to victory, so it seemed. In truth, it felt like the goddess had blessed Edelgard with undue kindness, a thought that did not lose its irony on Her Majesty. After a short, one-sided conversation that was too exasperated and sentimental to recall, Edelgard had dragged Byleth down to the Dining Hall, where their own version of the Millennium Festival was being celebrated. In a flash, the Professor had been swept away into the party, and the night managed to be unrelenting in its reflections of that Ball so long ago.

“Come on Professor! Don’t you wish to take advantage of the golden opportunity to dance with the golden future of House Aegir? I can show you a time you shan’t soon forget!”

Ferdinand’s voice bellowed across the hall as he stepped in between Dorothea and the Professor, who seemed to be having a much more relaxed time than those from the more noble families of the Empire. From Edelgard’s vantage point at the head of one of the long tables, it seemed that the pair fit into the ranks of the soldiers much more smoothly than the rest of them, no doubt due to their pasts as commoners before their time at the Academy.

Dorothea looked appalled at the intrusion to her time with the Professor, her eyes still red with tears of joy at the sudden appearance. “Excuse you Ferdinand! The Professor is having the time of her life here with her favorite student,” she winked at Byleth, sending an uncomfortable feeling spidering down Edelgard’s spine. “Isn’t that right Professor?”

This line of discussion had piqued Edelgard’s attention, and she couldn’t help but focus her hearing on the threesome, toning out the partying taking place in the rest of the Hall. She could feel Hubert eyeing her with suspicion as she suddenly took interest in something on the other side of the room, but if any night was a night to indulge, this would be it.

Byleth seemed to hesitate before answering, allowing a gap in the conversation to be filled by Ferdinand in yet another attempt at domination. “Oh please! Even if you are the most beloved by our noble professor, you must allow the rest of us to have to show our worth before claiming victory!” He bowed to the Professor, extending a hand as the music began to transition into a new song, one much softer and eloquent than the last. “May I have this dance Professor?”

With a soft glance cast back towards Dorothea, Byleth accepted Ferdinand’s invitation to the floor. Dorothea moved out of the crowd after that, coming to rest in a heap near Hubert and the Emperor at their table. Edelgard nodded in acknowledgement, but not much more as that unpleasant sensation still rested at the center of her back. Across the room, Byleth guided the heir of House Aegir through the crowd of other dancers, leading him with poise and grace that seemed to emerge out of nowhere in the Professor. That was something Edelgard had managed to accept long ago, that the Professor had some uncanny ability to excel at the physical arts, whatever they may be, even if she’d never done it before. Edelgard followed the pair with her eyes, tracing the heeled footsteps across the wood until Dorothea’s sing-song tone brought her out of it.

“Hello? Edie?” Dorothea waved a hand in front of the Emperor’s face, starting her as if she’d been asleep.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What were you saying Dorothea?”

The woman sipped her drink, washing her eyes over Edelgard’s face in search of something until she seemed to find what she was looking for. “So...the Professor huh?”

Edelgard’s neck tensed at the question, recognizing the painful feelings that both of them had confessed to earlier in the day. She flexed her gloved fingers, resolved not to show the emotion she had so carelessly displayed when Byleth appeared out of nowhere. “Yes. She has returned.”

Dorothea and Hubert shared a glance, seemingly holding a silent conversation in front of the Emperor at the head of the table. Reluctantly, Edelgard pulled her eyes away from the dancers to scrutinize two of her closest allies. “Is something on your mind?”

Hubert responded first, voice hard. “I believe Dorothea and myself are both concerned regarding the nature of the Professor’s disappearance and subsequent return.”

Edelgard realized that she was quick to defend the Professor, but for good reason. She trusted Byleth with her life, and criticizing her was akin to criticizing herself, especially only a few hours after she had reentered all of their lives. She raised an eyebrow, preparing for a familiar fight with Hubert on this topic, although she was surprised by Dorothea sharing the opinion. “Oh? Do you feel the same Dorothea?”

Dorothea seemed shocked at Hubert’s words, and was quick to backpedal. “Well, I for one am ecstatic that the Professor is back.” She turned away to look across the room where Ferdinand was still being led around the dancefloor, then looked back at Edelgard with a glint in her eye and a mischievous grin on her face. “I’m _more_ curious about why your old bedroom was the first place the Professor went after five years of being unconscious. Any idea why that may be, Edie?”

The thought of how it all looked brought a bright pink hue into Edelgard’s cheeks, easily visible to her two allies on her pale skin. “I don’t know what you could be referring to.”

“Riiiight. Of course you don’t! I for one would’ve loved if the Professor had come to visit me. I’m a bit jealous if I’m being honest. It seems that you can only get her alone once in a blue moon.”

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Byleth had returned from the grave, and as the collective high in the Monastery calmed down, the Black Eagle Strike Force set their sights on the Great Bridge of Myrddin, a vital entrypoint into the Leicester Alliance and a foothold in their campaign to reunify Fódlan.

Edelgard attempted to relax as much as possible as the carriage continued on the dirt road that connected Garreg Mach to the Great Bridge of Myrddin. The Strike Force had departed early that morning, attempting to arrive at the bridge in only three days’ time. Despite Hubert’s apprehension, Edelgard managed to have Byleth ride at the center carriage with her and Hubert. She’d convinced him that they needed to catch her up on the past few years and plan ahead for the battle, and he relented on the condition that he accompany the both of them.

In short, Edelgard was nervous.

Not for the mission—this was likely not to be a difficult battle with the Professor’s guidance and direction—but because this was the first time in five years that Edelgard would be spending an extended period of time with the Professor. In the past month, it seemed as though Byleth hadn’t changed at all since they last saw each other. That was a good thing as far as Hubert was concerned, adding credence to her story, but Edelgard couldn’t shake an anxious feeling that she had. Although it was difficult to place, part of her was afraid that things would stay the same as they always had been: the teacher and her student. Objectively, that wasn’t a bad thing, especially for the war effort, but for some reason, it made Edelgard’s skin crawl.

Byleth remained mostly silent on the first day of travel, listening intently to discussion of the local geography surrounding the Great Bridge as well as the likely opposing commanders that they’d be facing. Occasionally she would pose a question about someone or something, then begin to listen again. Edelgard accepted this, she’d only been awake for a month after all.

About twelve hours into the ride, the trio grew tired and their thoughts became slow and muddled, so they gave up on attempting to think through their troubles. Laying her head back and listening to the sound of horses clopping outside, Edelgard began to become acutely aware of the situation she was in. For five years, the woman across from her was supposedly dead in a ditch somewhere, buried under rubble. The nightmares of her childhood were replaced by nightmares of drowning and killing the woman who offered her guidance and aid when she needed it most, and all of a sudden she’d returned, seemingly unharmed and unchanged despite the chaos that had transpired all around her. If Edelgard didn’t know any better, she’d have called it a miracle.

Across from her, seated on the opposite bench of the cabin, Byleth leaned against the wall and gazed out the window into a moonlit forest slowly passing by. Edelgard noted the way that the shadows of leaves passed over her features, casting the Professor in intricate patterns not dissimilar from the tights she always insisted on wearing. She thought about her painting back in the Archbishop’s Quarters, _her_ quarters, and how she might move her brush to finally detail the eyes. And for once, she thought she might actually be able to do it.

The carriage slowed to a stop before the sounds of talking in the caravan broke the silence of the forest.

Hubert stood from his seat beside Edelgard, “We’re stopping for the night, Your Majesty. We’ll have your tent ready momentarily. Care to join me Professor?” Without a word, Byleth nodded in agreement and followed Hubert out of the carriage, shutting the door and sealing Edelgard inside. 

A moment later, there was a soft rapping on the door to the carriage.

Edelgard straightened up, holding herself upright should someone of note need her attention. Oh, the joys of being the Emperor.

“You may enter.”

The door slowly creaked open to reveal a green-haired scholar, Linhardt von Hevring, peeking inside and glancing around the cabin before catching Edelgard’s eye. “Edelgard! Would you mind if I joined you in here?”

A bit puzzled, she answered, “Um. I suppose that would be fine. Can I help you?” While she addressed the man, he seemed to not acknowledge her presence, wandering over to the bench opposite Edelgard and laying down on it, where Byleth had been moments before.

“Well, I figure they can’t force me to help make camp if they can’t find me, and they’d never disturb you without good reason. This seemed like the best place.” He yawned as he finished, closing his eyes as if to say that he no longer cared to talk.

Edelgard crossed her arms and huffed. “Linhardt, you can’t keep shirking your duties off onto others so you can nap.”

Lazily, he opened one eye to look back at her. “Have we not had this conversation before? I feel as though we have.”

She sighed, too tired to have this discussion again. “Yes, we have.”

At that, he closed his eyes and returned to rest. There was a brief silence, until Edelgard felt compelled to talk about what had been on her mind the entire carriage ride. “What do you think of the Professor?”

This seemed to intrigue him enough to not go to sleep, but his eyes remained tightly shut as he spoke. “What about her?”

If Edelgard knew anything about Linhardt, it was when he’d been hooked by a question. Sometimes useful, usually not, but he’d always been curious about their teacher. “How do you feel about her?”

“As a scholar?”

“No...as a friend and adviser.”

He rolled onto his side, facing away from Edelgard. “Ugh, so boring,” drawing out the final syllables.

Edelgard began to grow a bit impatient with the man, soft-spoken and gentle as he was. “Linhardt, I value your opinion. You allow yourself to think beyond the conduct of nobility and the necessities of war, and I would greatly appreciate your input on the matter.

He sighed. “She’s...curious.”

Edelgard cocked her head to one side in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well, not everyone can enter into a coma for five years and come out unscathed, especially with no medical attention during that span.” His eyes remained closed, but the scholar’s brow furrowed in contemplation at the thought. “I wonder if it has to do with the Professor’s crest. We know so little about it after all.”

At the mention of the legendary Crest of Flames, an itch formed at the back of Edelgard’s neck, where her spine met her skull. Linhardt continued.

“One day, I’ll do some research on the matter. The Professor’s appearance has certainly reignited my curiosity, but I don’t believe it’s time yet.”

Sullen and a bit disappointed, Edelgard replied, “I see. If you were in my position, would you trust her?”

“If I’m being honest, I am quite surprised that you would ask that.”

Edelgard recoiled, “Why?”

“Well, you always seemed to have a soft spot for our dear Professor, it’s unlike you to distrust her.”

“I-” she stuttered, covering her tracks, “I do trust her...Hubert does not, however.” 

Linhardt yawned, growing dreary of topics that did not interest him. “Well, it seems you have your answer then.”

Puzzled, Edelgard opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the door to the carriage swinging open to reveal Ferdinand outside, with the beginnings of a campfire being stoked by Petra and Byleth in the center of a circle of tents. They’d located a small clearing, surrounded by tall, broad-leafed trees on all sides. A good enough place to sleep while they were still in Empire territory. If all went according to plan, the Strike Force and their handful of battalions would make dinner around the fire or eat some prepared rations if they preferred, then promptly head to bed in order to get an early start in the morning to continue on their mission. On departing trips from the monastery, when they weren’t sure if they’d all return in one piece, things tended to be tense as everyone fought to overcome their anxiety. Drinks around the fire — as seldom as Edelgard joined — were typically reserved for trips home, when victory had been secured with no casualties.

Edelgard took a wide berth around the fire, keeping her eyes locked on her large tent, trying to keep them from wandering over to the campfire. Only when she reached the threshold did she allow herself to look back, catching the image of the Professor, fire dancing in her eyes, looking back at her.

There was something in her face that Edelgard had trouble placing. Happiness, maybe, but not quite. Not in a war. It was comfort, she realized. Upon that understanding, the overwhelming urge to join the two by the fire slammed itself into the forefront of Edelgard’s mind, yet her years of training to be Emperor halted her. 

Oh to be a soldier, an infantrywoman brought along on their mission, unburdened by the responsibilities and duties of her position. Even to be just another member of the Strike Force, Edelgard could feel the worries slipping through her fingers like sand. She could ask the Professor to join her in dance, in drink, in laughter, and in tears. She could do all of those things without fear of compromising herself or her nation. She wouldn’t have to beg for forgetfulness if she slipped up. She would know that if someone took an interest in her, it wasn’t because of her title. She wouldn’t have to be alone.

That’s the world she was fighting this war for. Whether it would ever exist for herself was doubtful, but at least she could create it for those that came after her.

Without a word, Edelgard gave a soft, apologetic smile before slipping under the flaps and into the tent.

* * *

Another nightmare plagued Edelgard that night, the same as it had been for the past five years. Drowning, helpless to save herself and when she finally reaches for help, she kills her. Except this time, the Professor’s face is clearer above the surface of the water. Edelgard can make out the color of the eyes and the hair, but a new emotion presented itself on the face that had seemed so blank in Edelgard’s memory: worry.

Edelgard shot up from her cot, clutching the dark red blanket that covered her. The scene was not unfamiliar to her, sheets drenched in sweat, long hair sticking to her shoulders as she gasped for air, the feeling of inhaling seawater not quite ready to loosen its grip on her throat.

The Emperor caught her breath, savoring the feeling of air entering her lungs unhindered as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Empire military-grade canvas tent, candlelight in the corner illuminating her armor that rested on a stand, letters and reports on a stool by her cot. She was in the field, on a mission. Right.

The sudden relief of not drowning was replaced by the overwhelming stuffiness of the tent as Edelgard suddenly longed for the open air and a sweet breeze upon her skin. She’d spent too long copped inside to be able to go to sleep like that. Rising from her cot, still dressed in her nightgown, she reached for her long, crimson red coat she kept for the colder areas of Fódlan, or for occasions identical to this one.

Pulling it tight around herself, arms tucked inside, the Emperor ducked under one of the flaps to her tent. Immediately after exiting, the relief of the cool night air hit her with full force. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but it must have been late. The moon was high in the sky, the other tents seemed to be quiet, and the only sound was of crickets echoing off the trees in every direction. Taking this all in, Edelgard’s eyes stopped about thirty feet in front of her, where a lone Professor stoked the dull embers of the fire. Her eyes locked with Edelgard’s, and the woman realized that she didn’t have much of a choice at this point.

Edelgard silently walked over to what remained of the campfire, sitting on another log a few feet away from Byleth.

Byleth’s soft voice broke the cacophony of crickets, “Are you okay?”

The sound startled Edelgard, who had only heard the Professor speak to her a handful of times since she’d returned from the dead. “Of course Professor.”

She seemed to accept that as an answer for now, although Edelgard knew that the Professor could probably see right through her and was too polite to say so. Even so, the silence that the Professor so often possessed wasn’t an awkward one, in fact it often made Edelgard feel more comfortable in speaking her mind than she would have been otherwise. And now, she fought the urge to stay quiet, to keep things professional, but she had to give in eventually.

“We’ve missed you a lot, Professor. I’m sure you’ve come to realize this by now.” Edelgard kept her eyes glued to the glowing embers, knowing how dangerous it was to look into her teacher’s eyes. “Without you, we would not have stood a chance in this war, despite our skills in combat.” Edelgard couldn’t help but chuckle. “Your mind is unmatched it seems, even my best generals cannot compare to your abilities in the field.”

Keeping her voice flat, Byleth replied, “Maybe I should start teaching strategy classes.”

Edelgard laughed, letting herself relax a bit more but being reminded of her fear that she would only ever be a student to Byleth. “Oh Professor. You do know you’re not a teacher anymore, right?”

At this, the Professor seemed genuinely surprised, her eyes widening slightly as if she was taken aback. “I thought you wanted me to teach?”

Edelgard blinked in confusion. That was what she wanted the least, so she wasn’t exactly sure where this was coming from. Byleth filled in the gaps.

“At the Academy. You asked if I would still be your teacher after we left.” The Professor spoke with such genuity and care that it caught the woman off guard.

The memory resurfaced into the Emperor’s mind, and she wanted to slap her past self across the face for being so embarrassing. To say she had a mild crush on their class’ professor was horribly humiliating and entirely unbecoming of the Adrestian princess and compromising everything she’d ever tried to display as a nation’s leader. At the time, knowing what was to come, she’d wanted the Professor to stay in her life in whatever form that came in. Now the very notion seemed ridiculous. 

“That was...Things are different now.” Edelgard took a deep breath, steeling herself as she thought her next few sentences through. “You are my friend. You are a friend to all of us. Your advice is greatly appreciated, but I am not the student I used to be, for better or for worse.”

Byleth looked over to her, eyes worried as she caught the sadness in Edelgard’s voice. She changed the subject abruptly, catching Edelgard by surprise. “Have you been sleeping?”

No doubt, she was referring to the nightmares that Edelgard had shared with her so many years ago, that she’d kindly asked her to forget yet was struck by the care in her remembering something so personal. She wanted to lie, to say she was fine, healed since her days at the Academy, but the moonlight and the Professor seemed to act as a truth serum for the Emperor. That didn’t mean that she had to say her nightmares had changed.

“No.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Edelgard thought of her responsibilities, and shook her head _no_. “You should get some sleep. It’s late.”

It was Byleth’s turn to shake her head. “I’ve slept long enough, and someone needs to keep watch. Try and rest while you still can.”

The Professor’s concern for her was not something Edelgard would soon forget, and it stuck in her mind, lowering her will to fight back against the suggestion. Every part of her wanted to stay out here, wrapped in her coat and sitting on the hard ground beside Byleth until the sun began to shine through the trees. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. But the thought of someone discovering her at daybreak, nightgown still on and hair down, was only slightly more horrible than having to face the inner walls of her tent alone. And so, she stood from where she was sitting.

Edelgard washed her eyes over the professor, hunched over the now dead campfire, and felt a soft pull in her chest. She shoved it down, deep, deep into the darkest pits of her body, and nodded to the woman sitting in front of her.

“Goodnight, Byleth.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a resounding success at the Great Bridge of Myrddin, the Black Eagle Strike Force recollect and begin to head home, while Edelgard begins to better understand exactly what she's feeling.

The rich smell of clay and fertile soil permeated the Empire war camp, thick as honey. Soft breezes coasted on the wake of the Airmid River that flowed under the Great Bridge of Myrddin, wafting up and through the stone that once cradled a fortress held by the Leicester Alliance and the Hero of Daphnel: Judith.

After a hard fought battle, the Leicester Alliance was forced to surrender the Great Bridge of Myrrdin to the Adrestian Empire. Judith von Daphnel refused to allow the Empire to gain control of the bridge, fighting until she was surrounded and subsequently overtaken by Empire forces. Afterwards, the Empire camp migrated to the fort stationed at the center of the bridge, a more easily defensible location should the need arise.

Edelgard addressed the Empire troops that surrounded a small platform on one side of the fortress, the Professor on her right and Hubert on her left, both watching as she spoke to the crowd.

“...and with this victory, so begins the final quest towards peace for all of Fódlan and all of its people. A new Fódlan, unshackled by the actions and contracts of the nobility who maintain a deaf ear to those that are not gifted with the blood of so-called saints.” With each word, Edelgard felt the heat begin to rise inside her, filling her with restless energy and enthusiasm. “And in this unified Fódlan, _you_ , the people will decide what is right and what is wrong. Not the archbishop. That is the Fódlan we are fighting for and _that_ is the Fódlan we will achieve!”

As she finished, cheers erupted from the crowd that spread out in front of her and a smile spread across Edelgard’s face. After a few minutes of thanking the soldiers one-by-one, Edelgard finally returned to the collection of tents where the Black Eagle Strike Force was resting and licking their wounds. The day was growing long, and Hubert and Byleth followed Edelgard into the mostly empty mess tent where the Strike Force was waiting for all three of them, as they hadn’t had a moment to talk since the end of the battle.

Caspar was the first to see them enter the tent, looking up from the huddle and shouting across the hall, “Hey look! They’re finally back!” The rest of the group broke from their conversation, immediately widening their circle to include the three latecomers.

While incredibly grateful for the gesture as well as for the fact that everyone was alive, Edelgard really just wanted to go to bed.

“I say we celebrate!” Caspar continued as she approached and sat down. He raised a tankard in her general direction, “To a battle well-won thanks to Professor! We couldn’t have done it without you!” Those with drinks at the table raised them in assent as Edelgard glanced to the Professor to see a twinge of humility in her eyes.

Byleth spoke up to the group, voice flat but filled with sincerity that only her closest friends understood: “It was you all who did such great work.”

At this, Edelgard had to speak up, as the thought of the Professor not receiving the credit she deserved made her want to wreak havoc. “Nonsense, my teacher. While yes, we all fought well,” Edelgard’s eyes wandered around the group as she spoke, locking eyes with each member of the Strike Force until she met Byleth’s, “this victory would not have occurred if not for you.”

The two remained locked for a moment, to the point where Edelgard lost track of the time as she savored the deep, roiling soul of the Professor that seemed so calm on the surface. That is, until Ferdinand spoke in his pompous tone, “This should put a stop to one of Edelgard’s choice phrases! Well done, Professor!”

All eyes turned to him — including the Professor’s — as the gears of Edelgard’s mind began to turn and process exactly what was about to happen, only she couldn’t bring herself to move quickly enough to put a hand over Ferdinand von Aegir’s prattling mouth.

“I believe it was, ‘if only the Professor were here, we could forge ahead and change the tides of this war.’” As the noble finished, Dorothea began to stifle a laugh and Edelgard struggled to fill the air with talk instead of allow the blood to rush to her cheeks.

She gave him a firm look across the group, careful to avoid the questioning glances of the Professor. “Ferdinand. It is not necessary to tell the Professor such things.” He looked a bit apologetic in response, which made her feel a bit guilty, but what was she supposed to do?

Caspar chimed in on the subject, apparently wishing for nothing less than to embarrass her, “Oh Edelgard, don’t be shy!” He turned his eyes to Byleth, who seemed to be enjoying the display a bit too much for Edelgard’s taste. “She took it _really_ hard when you disappeared Professor. You shoulda seen her while you were gone, like a whole different person!”

Where Caspar seemed genuine at least, Dorothea spoke up with a clear intent, “Yes, it became quite clear that you were her anchor, Professor. It’s really quite a wonder she’s made it this far without you.”

Edelgard felt the burn of the spotlight on her face as she aggressively cleared her throat and searched for a diversion. In the end, the only thing she could come up with on the spot was to downplay it all. “ _Ahem._ Yes, um...we all missed you very much Professor. We’re glad you’re back.”

The conversation eventually returned to the subject of planning a victory party once they returned back to Garreg Mach, led by Caspar and Ferdinand. They’d both forced Bernadetta to participate, insisting that she was the only one competent enough to handle food preparations, when really they just wanted to get her involved.

Sitting beside the Professor was something still unfamiliar to Edelgard. It still made her leg bounce, her heart race, her blood rush. She supposed this was only natural after having someone so special come back into your life after five years of un-death. How was she supposed to react? All calm, going with the flow? That wasn’t the kind of person she was regardless, but it seemed a bit ridiculous to her that she _wouldn’t_ be happy that their dear Professor had returned. She was almost positive that the other members of the Strike Force must have had a meeting in secret and agreed to poke fun at her for it, and that they were all feeling exactly the same way as her. She was sure of it in fact. It just wasn’t possible that she was the only one experiencing these kinds of feelings.

Hubert brought her out of her mind, approaching the Emperor and Byleth as the group enjoyed themselves, clearing his throat before confessing to the both of them, “Thank you, Professor. You were...instrumental in our victory. That much is certain.” As he finished, Edelgard noticed a sheepish look on his face that she couldn’t help but call him out on.

“Hubert, acknowledging the Professor’s expertise and value in battle? I didn’t think I would live to see the day.” She grinned at him playfully, until the brush of the Professor’s leg against her own under the table made the skin burn beneath the dress she was wearing and her heart leap into her throat. Edelgard fought to stay still and stoic, her jaw clenching so hard she thought she might break a tooth.

Byleth thanked him as Edelgard struggled to maintain her composure, “Thank you Hubert. Does this mean you trust me?”

He nodded. “Although I do not know what Her Majesty sees in you, you have shown that your intentions are pure and alike our own.”

Hubert bowed deeply to the both of them before returning to the group, but Edelgard’s mind was still reeling with the memory of a gentle, innocent brush. That was...the first time she’d touched the Professor since she’d returned and Edelgard had shoved her against the wall with a knife to her throat. Amid the playful banter of the roundtable, Edelgard’s conscience was thrown back into her days at the Academy.

* * *

Edelgard’s fingers twisted around the handle of the iron axe, gripping the wooden rod with all the force in the world.

The Black Eagles were spread throughout the Training Grounds during one of the first classes with their new professor. Before formal instruction began, the teacher — hair dark blue with eyes that matched — wanted to gauge the current skill level of her students. To do so, she’d brought them here to display their neutral fighting positions, posture, and special skills. 

Ferdinand stood beside Edelgard, about five feet away, gently cradling a lance with both hands. Every few seconds, she could see him glance over to her out of the corner of her eyes. She heard the Professor commenting on Bernadetta’s grip behind her, instructing her on the stances that offered maximum accuracy with her bow.

She couldn’t get a bead on the Professor so far, which more than anything made Edelgard curious. She knew she should be cautious considering the situation, but she couldn’t keep her mind from wandering back to the Professor’s silent gaze, graceful movements, and mysterious past whenever she had an idle moment. It was something that she couldn’t pull herself away from, despite the gravity of her purpose at the Academy.

Byleth emerged onto the front row of students as she scanned Ferdinand for a moment. He was silent at first, probably nervous, Edelgard thought, until he blurted out familiar nonsense: “A form that is the product of noble upbringing, wouldn’t you say Professor? I’m sure you will notice that I have once again bested Edelgard.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes at the notion, but refused to stoop to his level. She adjusted her feet, widening her stance and keeping her head straight.

The Professor stood in front of Ferdinand, chin resting on one hand as she surveyed. Her eyes caught on something by the boy’s knees.

“If you stand like that, you’ll get knocked over.”

Ferdinand seemed shocked to receive any critique at all, eyes widening as he looked at their teacher in bewilderment. He separated his feet, similar to how Edelgard had moments before, and Byleth seemed to nod in approval before moving over to Edelgard. Her eyes began sliding over her form, sending the Adrestian Princess’ blood rushing straight to her cheeks as she fought to maintain her stance.

A few moments passed by, and Edelgard thought she might faint before receiving a critique, when the Professor took a step towards her without a word. Then another, and another, until she stood inches away. Still, Edelgard refused to move a muscle as she felt the eyes on her, only tightening her grip.

Byleth reached her hands out. Rough, callused fingers gently pulled Edelgard’s fingers free from her axe handle. One by one, the Professor forced her hold to loosen by slowly unraveling the tangled knot of roots that had latched themselves onto the axe. 

Edelgard stood in silence, her mind a blank slate and her face aflame, when the Professor’s voice brought her back to Earth. Straightforward, she said, “Keep your grip loose. You can react faster that way.”

An emotion danced behind her eyes that Edelgard had yet to comprehend, until she managed to croak out a reply. “Th-thank you, my teacher.”

The Professor nodded and moved onto Hubert, who Edelgard realized had been watching the entire exchange.

She thought about those hands for months.

Not that that was the only time an event of that nature happened, but it was special because it was the first.

* * *

The day after the Empire’s victory at the Great Bridge of Myrddin, the Black Eagle Strike Force set off for Garreg Mach, leaving Imperial troops stationed at the fortress to expand the front lines further into Alliance territory. Thankfully, ever since the Professor’s notable performance in the battle against Judith von Daphnel, Hubert had finally begun to trust Byleth and value her input. It put Edelgard more at ease than she thought possible, especially considering the first sign of progress in five years had finally come to pass. All of that, in addition to a battle with minimal bloodshed set her on a high that everyone could see from a mile away.

Edelgard could feel the warm sun raining down on her as she trotted alongside the convoy astride her horse. Normally, she’d be holed up in the Emperor’s carriage waiting desperately for nightfall to come so she could stretch her legs, but she’d convinced Hubert to allow her to ride along with some of the other Strike Force members.

The Emperor felt good. Better than good. She felt...happy. Happy to be alive, happy to feel the sun on her face, happy to be going home, and happy that her friends were all coming home too. Every now and then her mind would wander to the future, to the other battles that the war had in store for them, and then she would force her brain back on track so that she could enjoy the fleeting moments of pure joy that she had.

Edelgard had closed her eyes, bathing in the light, when she heard a horse trot up next to her. She turned her head to see Dorothea matching her pace alongside her. Edelgard did a quick survey to see who was around. Petra riding peacefully a ways in front of her, and Ferdinand back behind speaking with Hubert. She soberly remembered the woman’s comments the night before.

Edelgard held her nose high before addressing her, “Hello Dorothea. Can I help you?”

“Oh Edie, don’t be like that.”

“I don’t think I know what you mean.”

Dorothea raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Oh? So you’re not mad at me for trying to help you out?”

Edelgard’s breath caught in her throat as her good mood came crashing back down to Earth. “Dorothea! I don’t know why you and the others insist that there is something going on with me and the Professor! Obviously I missed her a great deal, but it is horribly embarrassing when you insist that it is any different from how the rest of you feel.” She kept her voice low so that the others wouldn’t hear, but Edelgard’s frustration came through clear as day.

“You know Edie, sometimes I think you’re brilliant but you really are clueless when it comes to things like this.”

“I,” she stuttered, “I don’t know what to say to that.”

Dorothea’s pace slowed as she broke her thought process down into individual steps. “Edie. How did you feel when the Professor disappeared?”

The memory of the day emerged into Edelgard’s mind. The feeling of panic as Rhea transformed into the Immaculate One, a huge, monstrous beast bearing fangs the size of pillars and wings as big as sails. The mere transformation sent the monastery into disarray as buildings collapsed. Caught in the middle of it was Byleth, and despite her and Hubert’s shouted warnings, she was buried alive, seemingly never to be seen again.

The recollection brought a suffocating ache to Edelgard’s chest, one that she’d experienced time and time again in her nightmares.

“I felt...like I was drowning.”

Surprised by the sudden weight of Edelgard’s answer, Dorothea readjusted herself and took on a more serious tone. “And did that ever stop? Did it ever get easier over those five years she was gone?”

“No.”

Dorothea looked over to her, concern in her eyes as she hesitated to push any further. But she did, for her friends’ sake. “Did that change when the Professor came back from the dead?”

The pain in her chest was replaced with flashbacks of seeing Byleth’s face for the first time in years, and the cold all but disappeared in the place of a warmth that spread into Edelgard’s fingertips at the mere remembrance. But the echo of that pain remained, still haunting her thoughts and actions despite the resolution the universe had offered her.

“Yes. I cried tears of joy.” All of a sudden Edelgard remembered Dorothea’s suggestion, that this was anything deeper than an earnest friendship. “But you did too! Almost all of us did!”

Dorothea chuckled at the notion. “Yeah, I guess I did huh? But Caspar was being honest. No one took her disappearance as hard as you did. And I was being honest when I said that I thought that she was your anchor. We weren’t poking fun, we were…” she thought for a moment, trying to come up with the right phrase, “...being your wingman!”

The now-familiar blush returned to Edelgard’s cheeks, and she began to doubt herself and her interpretation of the feelings she's had all these years.

“Edie...we’ve all seen it. What you two have, it’s more than just friendship. At least for you anyway. The Professor is near impossible to get a read on. I know you may not see it yet, but it’s been pretty obvious to all of us that you have feelings for her. Romantic feelings.”

Edelgard’s eyes widened in response, utterly speechless for a few moments as her entire worldview shifted on its axis. White became black, up became down, and dark became light. Every interaction she’d ever had with the Professor, every shock of heat and glimpse of sparkling eyes burned bright in her memory with a rosy-colored hue in contrast to the cold blue that seemed to penetrate everything else she’d ever experienced.

_Oh._

As every muscle in Edelgard’s body seemed to tense out of pure instinct, she realized that her hearing had disappeared with her sanity. It slowly returned, coaxed back by Dorothea’s singsong voice that had apparently continued speaking despite the Emperor’s silence.

“...and honestly I’m a bit jealous. She’s always seemed like she liked you the most despite all of our best efforts to win her for ourselves. It’s not fair at all if you ask me, but good for you I guess.”

Edelgard finally recovered from the searing white flash of a realization lagging a few seconds behind, struggling to keep up. “What?!”

Dorothea looked over at her, apparently surprised to hear her voice. “Hm?”

All of a sudden Edelgard felt dizzy, struggling to sit upright on her horse as she slouched forward. In the background, she heard Dorothea calling for help, voice muffled in the air around her. The bright, sunny day had begun to rapidly grow dark as Edelgard struggled to keep her eyes open. Then, she felt a pair of hands grab her around the waist, lifting her off the large horse in one deft movement and onto what she assumed was solid ground, cradled in the arms of someone standing still. She was stationary for a few moments, then the muddled voice of someone that she thought sounded remarkably like Hubert came through before she was carried somewhere.

* * *

Edelgard wasn’t certain how long she’d been asleep, it could have been anywhere from a few seconds to hours, but she still felt like the same groggy, disheveled mess either way. Her consciousness began to slowly return to her.

First, the sensation of something warm and soft against her cheek.

Second, the sound of her Imperial carriage rolling down the road, lightly jostling her horizontal body.

Lastly, the feeling of a wisp of her own hair being pulled off of her face and tucked behind one ear.

She didn’t want to wake up, to end this honestly very comfortable experience, until she managed to open her eyes just the slightest crack to begin to take in her surroundings. To her extreme surprise, she saw the delicate patterns of dark tights that she’d spent weeks perfecting on the portrait of the Professor, as well as the inner walls of a carriage with the sunset peaking through the curtains that were draped over the windows.

In a heartbeat, like the crashing of a waterfall at the first melts of Spring, the dots connected within Edelgard’s mind. 

She bolted upright at the full realization that she was laying her head on the Professor’s lap, alone in the Emperor’s Carriage, and that it was getting a bit too warm.

Byleth tracked her, looking confused at the sudden movement while also seemingly surprised that Edelgard was awake at all.

At the first sight of Byleth since her revelation, Edelgard thought she might pass out again. Every detail of the Professor’s face was strictly the same, she thought, but everything had changed. Her green eyes had become sparkling emeralds. Her long bangs resembling drapes that dared threaten to block out the light of the twin suns. The dents in her biceps and the calluses of her palms proof of a life harder than she deserved. Edelgard’s eyes seemed to hold the Professor differently, to regard her with all the care and delicacy of a work of art, and all the ferocity and depth of the ocean that didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

And all of a sudden, she found a name for what she was feeling, what she’d always felt.

_Love._

Edelgard’s newfound revelation made her mouth dry as she struggled to build up the courage to say anything. Luckily, Byleth filled in the gaps for her. “Good job in the fight yesterday.”

A bit shocked, but flattered nonetheless, Edelgard managed to close her jaw in response. Byleth continued, thankfully oblivious to Edelgard’s squirming as her heart seemed like it would burst out of her chest.

“You fainted on your horse. Linhardt checked you out once I brought you back here. He said that you collapsed from exhaustion.” Byleth turned her head to look at Edelgard, either politely ignoring the reaction the Emperor was having or not noticing. Edelgard didn’t know which was worse. She realized that the Professor was waiting on a confirmation to her statement.

Edelgard thought for a moment, realizing that yes, she hadn’t been sleeping well lately. She hadn’t been sleeping well since she was a child, really, but it was more true lately. A combination of nightmares, raw anxiety, stress, and overwork had kept her to only a few hours each night. Edelgard attempted to shove all her thoughts and feelings out of her head to focus on only the ones pertinent to the conversation in front of her, but all that did was bring them to the forefront of her mind. Still, she was determined to answer the implied question.

“Y-yes. I haven’t—um—haven’t been sleeping well recently.” She chuckled, trying to play it off. “Haha, you know the war and everything.”

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

Byleth cocked her head in confusion. “Are you still tired? You’re not acting like yourself.”

In fact, Edelgard felt like she’d chugged an entire pot of coffee. Her hands were shaking, her voice cracking, it took all her effort not to run out of the carriage altogether. She remembered the techniques she’d taught to Bernadetta years ago. Deep breaths.

After a minute of regaining her composure, during which Byleth had been kind enough not to say anything, Edelgard felt a bit better, despite every inch of her skin still feeling like it was burning with the highest fever she’d ever experienced. After she calmed down, she realized that she was actually much more tired than she’d ever imagined she could be, and she wanted nothing more in that moment than to lay her head back on Byleth’s lap until the world ended.

“I am, actually. I’m exhausted.”

Something akin to care softened Byleth’s expression as she spoke. “You should sleep then. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you.”

At the mere suggestion, Edelgard’s eyelids began to grow heavier and heavier, and she realized that she couldn’t fight the quickly oncoming hibernation if she tried with every cell in her body. The thought of Byleth standing watch over her gave one last shock of adrenaline into her heart, allowing one final question before she felt the warm embrace of sleep once again.

“Promise you won’t leave again?”

Darkness blanketed her vision as she slumped again, feeling warmth against her cheek that only spurned her drowsiness onwards as the last clutches of awareness began to fade away.

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all!! I know some of you may be disappointed to hear this, but I think this will be the last chapter I post of this fic! It was originally supposed to be a one shot so I didn’t do any outlining at all and after some consideration, I realized that if I continued it, it would only derail and drop in qualify. However, I’m gonna keep writing Edeleth and actually plan for a multi chapter fic, so keep an eye out if you like this!!
> 
> Edit: WOW this little ficlet just hit 100 kudos, so I'm so so glad y'all liked it! I just wanted to let you know, I started a Edelgard/Byleth longfic that is slow burn, enemies to lovers, and all the other good stuff. So if you like this, check out "If We Were Young Again"


End file.
